W E E K LY E D I T I O N | O C T O B E R 2 1 - 2 7, 2 0 19 | O U D A I LY. C O M
OUDAILY
The University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice since 1916
SCHOONER FLIPS AT GAME • 5
OU selects outside hire as diversity leader New choice for vice president position spurs student rally JORDAN MILLER @jordanrmillerr
Tw o O U s tu d e nt s a re planning a Monday rally in response to the recent nomination of an outside candidate to serve as vice president for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Interim OU President Joseph Harroz announced in an email Friday that, after a nationwide search, the university s ele cte d Belinda Higgs Hyppolite, assistant vice president for student development and enrollment services at
the University of Central Florida, to fill the position permanently. This decision will become effective pending the OU Board of Regents’ approval. Interim Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion Jane Irungu was one of the search’s three finalists, and some students are frustrated that she was passed over for the job. Irungu has served in the office since August 2018, when she entered under former OU President James Gallogly as interim associate vice president for university community. The position and office were changed from “university community” to “diversity and inclusion” in May,
w h e n Ha r r o z a p p o i n ted Irungu as interim vice president for diversity and inclusion, according to an Inside OU statement. Wo m e n a n d g e n d e r studies senior Joy Douglas is the main organizer behind the rally, which will take place from 10 a.m. to noon Monday in front of Dale Hall. Douglas said she met Irungu formally about a year ago. “As soon as I met her, she didn’t know anything about me … but she kind of just took me in as her own,” Douglas said. “That’s the thing that she does for all students no matter their race, gender, sexuality — as long as there’s somebody that needs something,
s h e ’s w i l l i n g t o g e t t o them.” In Irungu's time in the p o s i t i o n , t h e u n i v e r s ity has made “substantive structural changes” with “ l o n g - l a s t i n g i m p a c t ,” Harroz wrote in the letter, which also included a list of 15 specific accomplishments made under Irungu’s watch. The list includes the establishment of the Bias Response Committee, which addresses reports of bias and discrimination across all campuses, the creation and implementation of a multi-phase diversity and inclusion plan and partnership with student leadership to ensure student voices are amplified
and heard, according to the letter. “It just does not make sense as to why she wasn’t (selected) and given the position as (vice) president because it’s not even like she was given the position — she earned the position by the hard work that she did,” Douglas said. “And JANE IRUNGU this is not only for me, there CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY are multiple students that can attest to this … there are so many students that are upset about this because they know that this was not done right, and it’s not right to not have her as the vice president.” In an emailed statement from an OU spokesperson, see DIVERSITY page 2
BELINDA HIGGS HYPPOLITE VIA OU.EDU
OKC rapper Jabee tells his story graduation, moving between homes, sometimes c r a s h i n g o n a f r i e n d ’s couch — he sees the east side as home, a home he’s devoted his career to improving for future generations. “I want to be in a better position to help my people and take care of those people who took care of me when I was growing up,” Williams said. “To help build and enrich and educate my community.” ‘In the black future, there’s a place so dangerously absurd’
Oklahoma City-based rapper Jabee performs at Scissortail Park Oct. 19.
Jabee draws on life experiences for music, activism ABIGAIL HALL @abigail_wah
Jabee Williams collects himself underneath yellow dangling lights. Wearing a black hat with the Black Panther logo embroidered over the familiar text “Make America Great Again,” the hip-hop artist from Oklahoma City picks up the microphone and begins to rap. “My brother got killed, My cousin got killed, My best friend got killed, Man, this life is real.” In a small loft at The Third Space on Campus Corner, Williams, known by his childhood nickname “Jabee,” shares the story of his life through beats and pauses. An intimate crowd of about 12 people fills the room. College students bob their heads to the beat in the front row of foldable chairs, while a few friends
and supporters of Williams filter behind them. Later that week, the third incident in 2019 of an individual wearing blackface occurred in Norman. Williams was scheduled to perform at another local venue, but after the incident, he was warned by friends not to. “That’s exactly the reason I should play,” he responded on Twitter. Williams said, if anything, incidents of ignorance make him want to show up, stay and spit his truth. “I think it’s important to always go out of my way to fight racism, and anyone who knows me or knows my music ... (knows) that’s a big part of my mission,” Williams said. “If I don’t show up because of something like that, they win.” Showing up to share his life story through his melodies — addressing racism, poverty and the power of the black community — is Williams’ version of social justice. Williams proudly shares the values of the Black Panther movement, in
order to combat the slogan that directly negates his existence as a black man. “MAGA, to me, it really is a symbol of hatred and racism — and for me, the Black Panther logo is a symbol of hope and community and black people and minorities and people who don’t have anything,” Williams said. “(The hat) is saying, really, if we’re ‘Making America Great Again,’ then we’re the ones who built America. It was built on the backs of people who were slaves in this country and black people who were imprisoned.” Williams made the hat himself after he saw a similar version on Spike Lee’s Instagram and couldn’t find it available for purchase. To Williams, the hat represents a rebuttal to an argument. He said wearing the original MAGA hat is a bold statement, “so I want it to be a bold statement when I wear mine.” He’s created several versions of the altered hat that he frequently wears in the community. He sells them on his w ebsite, and on
JACKSON STEWART/THE DAILY
occasion, he gives them away for free. “I was at a restaurant, and this white kid said it was bold for me to wear it and said he wished he could wear it,” Williams said. “I took it off my head and gave it to him — that lets me know that I’m really on the right side of history when it comes to the ... racial divide that people still (see) when they see a MAGA hat.” Williams, a father of two daughters aged 4 and 7, stopped wearing the hat in the presence of his daughters after a waitress made negative comments about it in front of them. “I don’t want them to have to deal with some of that stuff that I have to deal with,” Williams said. Growing up on the east side of Oklahoma City, Williams experienced gang violence by the time he was in middle school. When he was 18, his 16-year-old brother, Junie, was shot and killed. While his years of adolescence were filled with uncertainty — attending 11 schools by the time of
From his early years of waking up to his mother listening to Tupac while she got ready for work, to school days rapping with his friends while making b e at s f ro m b a n g i n g o n their desks, hip-hop has always been a way of life for Williams. He was 7 when he rapped into his first microphone. His mother saw his love of the craft and bought him time at a local studio, MD Productions, to record with his friends, encouraging him to nurture his passion. “Rappin’ and hip-hop has always b e en there. It ’s not something that just came,” Williams said. “That’s just who we was — some of us rapped, some of us played ball, some of us (joined gangs), just everybody did something, so it was a natural progression.” Williams’ younger sister, Elizabeth Williams, recalls him rapping along with their cousin D’Angelo in their grandmother ’s l i v i n g ro o m w h i l e t a king apart TVs and stereos to make their own studio equipment. By 15, while his friends w e re i n ga ng s o r sp e nt their nights smoking and drinking, he was performing across Oklahoma City in local clubs and house parties, making a name for himself. “It’s crazy because most of his friends, like D’Angelo, and our brother Junie that was all around us when (we) were kids — they’re all dead now,” Elizabeth said. Williams can recall countless friends from high school who are either dead, doing life in prison or on death row. If it weren’t for rapping, he said, a similar fate awaited him. Through the pain of losing those closest to him, Williams devoted himself
to his rhymes and protecting his sisters, Elizabeth said. Williams took any opportunity to push his music into the world. He began r a p p i n g w i t h a Na t i v e American group and traveling to Dallas on weekends for rap battles. “I could do this for a living,” he remembers thinking the first time he made $100 from a show at a house party. “If I do this three times a week, that’s $300.” Williams spent his days working part-time jobs and rapping at night and on weekends, but in 2013, he decided to quit and focus on his music full time. Pretending to be his own PR agent, Williams would send emails to press and venues, getting himself through the door, gaining equity and building his name out of sheer force of will. He went from making $100 a show to touring nationally and internationally with household names in the hip-hop industry, and he won an Emmy Award in 2014 for his creation of a commercial for Science Mu s e u m O k l a h o ma. In 2016, he released his most recent album, “In the Black Future, There’s a Place So Dangerously Absurd,” which was inspired by a poem of the same name by local poet Najah Amatullah, about a future where the black community is allowed to succeed w ithout social bar r iers placed around them. The album includes three tracks of Amatullah reading the poem aloud and several other tracks with featured artists, including Chuck D of Public Enemy, who is a fan of Williams and his music. “Feelin’ like a beggar out here asking for some change, Strange tryna keep my focus, My mom’s broken, she gotta keep her nine loaded, Bumpin’ Ice Cube tryna decode it, Chuck D said I could change the world, Tryna change myself, let the world react, If they don’t like it — then change it back.”
see JABEE page 2
2
NEWS & CULTURE
• Oct. 21-27, 2019
DIVERSITY: continued from page 1
SPRING 2020 COURSES CL C 3803-001 World of Late Antiquity HEBR 1225-001 Beginning Hebrew HEBR 1225-002 Beginning Hebrew HEBR 2213-001 Intermediate Hebrew HEBR 3223-001 Advanced Hebrew HIST 3253-001 Germany: Bismarck to Hitler HIST 3293-900 Antisemitism HIST 3563-001 Jerusalem HIST 3623-900 Conformity/Dissent in 1950s/60s HIST 3733-001 History of Heaven and Hell HIST 3773-001 Jews/Christians in the Middle Ages HIST 4003-001 Jews/Other Germans HIST 4083-900 Museums, Monuments, Memory LSTD 4163-3/401 World Religions and Ecology LSTD 4213-401 The Bible as a Literary Work MLLL 3063-001 Jewish Literature RELS 1113-001/4 Intro to Religious Studies RELS 1213-001 Judaism and Christianity RELS 3623-002 Apostle Paul: Life & Thoughts RELS 3833-001 Biblical Archaeology
JUDAICSTUDIES.OU.EDU
the university said the nine-month national search was “comprehensive, transparent, and inclusive,” and that, in addition to receiving strong suppor t from OU community members at large, Hyppolite received a “resounding endorsement from the Faculty Senate Executive Committee.” “OU is indebted to Dr. Irungu for her invaluable leadership and her selfless service as interim vice president for diversity and inclusion,” the statement said. “She has made contributions that empower the office and ensure the success of our diversity and inclusion efforts for the future. Dr. Irungu is a valued and important member of our community. We look forward to her continued leadership on campus for years to come.” D ouglas planned the rally with the help of bio l o g y p re - m e d s o p h o more Tahirah Naidu, and said they have nothing against Hyppolite personally and know she would
do amazing things, but Irungu’s experience and work as interim makes her the ideal candidate. Douglas said she felt b r i ng i ng i n a n e w v i c e president will cause everything to come to a standstill, and “the office is going to be behind.” “As black women, we always are rooting for each other. … Because the system … it’s pitted against u s. S o I w i l l n e v e r b e against any other person … doing amazing because I want that for all of us,” Douglas said. “But for this specific instance, the person that’s best for the position was the person that was already in it.” Naidu said they are holding the rally because they believe in the work Irungu has made happen on OU’s campus and the plans she has. “Dr. Irungu has just had that time and that effort to genuinely get to know our campus and to really see what Oklahoma needs,” Naidu said. “We genuinely can see a change, and feel like the OU campus would benefit from Dr. Irungu staying in that position.” Douglas met with Irungu after one of the blackface incidents in the spring semester. She said
Irungu was someone she was really able to open up to because that was the first time in Douglas’ years at the university that she “truly was scared for (her) well-being campus.” “I just didn’t know where to place those feelings. And so being able to meet with her and talk to her about how I just kind of feel unsafe on campus ... she was the person that really was like, you know, everything’s gonna be okay,” Douglas said. “We’re really working and then seeing what they’ve done in the office has been amazing. ... She just kind of kept us together in a way.” Douglas said she is trying to set up a meeting on Monday with the OU Board of Regents — who will make the ultimate decision — before their general meetings on campus Oct. 22 and 23. “I’m in complete support of whoever gets the position, becaus e the y obviously did what they needed to do to get it,” Douglas said. “(Irungu’s) resume and her track record versus the other candidates is incomparable, in my opinion.”
JABEE: continued from page 1
‘This world is so fragile and cruel, I’m glad I got you.’ Williams had a dream that he died. “I was thinking I want people at my funeral — you know, if I’m not here — to know how they affected me,” he said. “I felt like my life was changing, and things are getting better. I was being lifted up, (and then) I had that dream that I died. And it was like, ‘OK, how do I want to go out?’” The dream inspired him to get back in the studio and record a new project, “This world is so fragile and cruel, I’m glad I got you,” which he plans to release in early 2020. Williams took a fouryear hiatus between musical projects, and he said he’s excited to get back in the studio. The time away, he said, allowed him to experience life in order to write about it. During his hiatus, he became an entrepren e u r a s pa r t- ow n e r o f Oklahoma City’s historically black Tower Theatre, a member on the Clara Luper Legacy Committee, which commemorates the life and legacy of Luper and the 1958 Oklahoma City sit-ins, and a future adjunct professor of hiphop at OU. Karlos Hill, associate professor and department chair of OU’s African and African-American Studies department, became Williams' fr iend when they both joined the Clara Luper Legacy Committee in the summer of 2018. In that time, Hill has come to view Williams as an artist reminiscent of the hip-hop movement of the ‘70s and ‘80s, a powerful activist for change in the black community and a close friend. “What makes him ... a very special hip-hop artist is that he’s genuine,” Hill said. “He’s genuine in talking about his life, his struggles. He’s genuine about his commitment to the community — it’s not just something that he does on the weekend. Hill, who teaches a class about the history of hiphop at OU, said Williams understands the importance of hip-hop as a cultural art form and political platform, and he uses that importance to better the black community around him.
JACKSON STEWART/THE DAILY
OKC rapper Jabee performs at Scissortail Park Oct. 19.
“He, like other conscious rap artists, understands the importance and the impact of the art form, and how it is cultural expression,” Hill said. “But it’s also a political platform — what you say in hip-hop music becomes a way ... in which young people actually conceptualize the world and take action in the world.” Through Hill’s friendship with Williams, the two plan to teach a new hiphop class together in the 2020-2021 school year. “I think hip-hop music is just this tremendous force of culture and politics and identity in society,” Hill said. “Nothing like it has existed in my mind in the last 50 to 60 years (that) has had that same kind of impact.” Williams’ new album continues the story he’s been telling since he was 7 years old. “The idea is, every day, we encounter somebody or we know someone and they have affected our life or impacted us, whether it was good or bad,” Williams said. “Because of that, it’s helped to make us who we are ... I’ve been through some really hard times, and because of that it’s made me who I am. I’ve been through some really good times, and because of that (it’s) made me who I am.” The album is the story of Williams, the history of black people, the story of Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher, the lives and times of those who have come before him and those who will come after him — all who inspire him to keep moving forward, he said. While he’s changed in social and financial status, he’s still the same Jabee that Elizabeth remembers protecting her from danger, she said.
“ I t ’s a m a z i n g t o s e e what he’s what he’s done,” Elizabeth said. “I never would have thought that ... he would even be at this point, and so it’s really a blessing.” Despite — or perhaps because of — his notoriety, Williams said he has no plans to leave Oklahoma City. “I want to stay here forever — I ride and die here,” Williams said. “What good am I to Oklahoma somewhere else? What good am I to my people if I can’t touch them? ... I just feel like if them fools who play for the Thunder can live here and pursue their dreams, then I can, too.” “Doomsday, My tomb say my birth name, Michael Jordan playin’ with the flu, 2Pacalypse Now came out in ‘92, Melle Mel wrote the message, Chuck Berry got arrested. Try to close your eyes at the right time, I got my kids tryna share mine, 24 hours tryna multiply, Tomorrow ain’t promised, so subtract mine, Livin’ in this skin, yo it’s so divine, The melanin within how my soul designed, That’s some real ni**a shit, Amistad, a real ni**a ship.” —Jabee, “Birth Name,” from the album “This w orld is s o fragile and cruel, I’m glad I got you,” to be released in 2020. Abigail Hall ahall@ou.edu
NEWS
Oct. 21-27, 2019 •
3
OU responds to AOI supporters
Despite petition, fundraising efforts, institute will close BLAKE DOUGLAS @Blake_Doug918
University officials have responded to continued efforts to preserve OU’s American Organ Institute, as the petition to keep the institute operating has collected almost 11,000 signatures. Nolan Reilly, AOI alumnus and director of music at St. Thomas More University Parish, said the petition to keep the AOI open, which was launched at the start of the fall semester after plans were announced to close the AOI on June 15, currently has 10,920 signatures. Reilly added that, on Oct. 14, AOI supporters sent an email to interim OU President Joseph Harroz that informed him of the petition’s growing support and asked for a meeting to discuss scaling down the program to adopt a more conservative budget. As of now, the university plans to close the AOI and remove the organ technology focus at the end of the academic year. “We said that we were willing to shrink the size of the program to match the funding that we have received already ... we are willing to work with OU to be financially responsible,” Reilly said. “Both (administrative assistant) Sherry Evans and President Harroz have been unwilling to put us on the schedule or respond to any of our questions.” On Oct. 14, Kyle Harper, senior vice president and provost, and Mary Margaret Holt, dean of the OU School of Fine
Arts, sent an email responding to requests for a meeting with AOI supporters. The email, which was obtained by The Daily, stated “the reality is that the decisions about the AOI and organ technology program” have already been finalized, with the university planning to close the institute and remove the organ technology focus at the end of the spring semester. “It is important to be clear that all managerial conversations about the organ program must absolutely involve the leadership of the program, Dr. (John) Schwandt,” the email read. “As we have shared with him directly and consistently, we are genuinely committed to building the best organ music program at OU moving forward.” On Aug. 30, The Daily acquired an email from Schwandt, director of the AOI. In the email, which was addressed to employees in the OU School of Music, Schwandt said he was in “disbelief” that the university would move ahead with its plan to close the institute despite fundraising and budgeting efforts, as well as criticism of administrative transparency. “I was told that it was a central administration decision based on insufficient proof of long-term financial sustainability,” Schwandt wrote. “It is my view that the process to eliminate the American Organ Institute was not enacted through true, shared governance or transparency ... I believe in searching for solutions to problems rather than politics.” Schwandt wrote that $6.6 million was raised in three
weeks during the summer, and that he worked with Holt to assemble a “conservative budget.” “Dean Holt expressed to me that she believed, as did I, that our budget and development plan would be received favorably by the central administration,” Schwandt wrote. “You can imagine my disbelief at the news I received on Tuesday, Aug. 13 that the university was going ahead with its plans ... thereby rejecting the generosity of three major philanthropic families.” K r i st i n Ro ss, ma naging director of the Wyncote Foundation, which attempted to make a grant to the university, said the foundation was informed its grant could not be accepted. Ross said since the AOI would not be reinstated and no program was opened for the grant to benefit, the money was never allocated. Adam Pajan, organ instructor and AOI shop technician, said the employees affected by the AOI’s closure feel they were never allowed a chance to defend their positions and program and were “left to deal with the fallout” of a decision made in higher administration. “I think we all just wish there were clear answers. There’s been a lot of conflicting information (from the university), facts or supposed facts that seemed to change,” Pajan said. “We feel like we were never really given the opportunity to fight for ... our longevity because every time we would come up with something, something else would change and make that (solution) no longer viable.” Pajan said the first time
CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY
Nolan Reilly, alumnus of the American Organ Institute, speaks to the crowd during a sit-in at Evans Hall to save the AOI Aug. 22.
AOI employees heard anything official was when Roland Barrett, director of the OU School of Music, said the AOI’s closure was a “setback” during the student walkout at the School of Music convocation on Aug. 22. “It seemed like more of a way to try and make an active acknowledgment with doing the harder thing,” Pajan said, “which is actually talking to the individuals that are being affected and say, ‘What can we do to help this year? What can we do to continue to support you?’” Pajan helped Schwandt draft the budget to try to keep the AOI open, he said, but reported changes to the required endowment to keep the institute afloat have made their goal unclear. “We were told that the number was $8 to $10 million
to keep it sustainable as it was,” Pajan told The Daily on Sept. 5. “An email from the dean’s office to graduate students a week ago (in late August) indicated nearly $14 million would be needed ... I know that we’ve never seen financial sheets that show us what we would be required to generate.” Pajan said the new budget that the university turned down would have kept the AOI functioning with roughly $135,000 in surplus. Despite an uncertain future, instructors in the institute are focusing on their remaining time with the program’s students, Pajan said. “Even though there’s obviously frustration and disappointment ... our commitment always has been and always is to the students,” Pajan said. “We have all our
energy focused on making this the most comprehensive educational experience we can make it within any given parameters.” In his email, Schwandt said the impact the AOI made on OU will continue even after its closure. “In the end, the AOI will remain as a shining example of precisely the kind of program of true distinction referenced in Chronicle of Higher Education articles,” Schwandt wrote. “This is a legacy that can never be quantified by selective enrollment numbers and money.” Blake Douglas
bdoug99@ou.edu
OU makes campus awards gender-neutral University changes recognitions to include all students BENNETT BRINKMAN @bennett_lostkid
When English literature and social justice senior Leanne Ho applied for Big Man/ Woman on Campus last year, they won the award. Because Ho identifies as nonbinary, they could not receive the award as it was named. Ho instead convinced the office of Leadership and Volunteerism to give them Big Non-Binary Person on Campus — a change which will have an impact on campus awards starting this year. “When I got (the award), I was like, ‘Joke’s on you, I’m neither a man nor a woman,’” said Ho, who said they had hoped their experience would convince those who give out the awards that they should not be gendered. Partly because of their experience, all campus awards will
have gender-neutral names starting this year. B i g M a n / Wo m a n o n Campus will now be the OU Campus Life Award, Outstanding Senior Man and Woman will be Outstanding Senior, and the Letzeiser Honor List will now recognize the top 26 students without dividing them by gender, said Becky Barker, director of the office of Leadership and Volunteer ism. The Homecoming court is also gender-neutral this year, said Ho, who is on the court. “In an effort to be more inclusive and to create uniformity with other longstanding campus awards, Student Affairs performed a review and recommended the award name be changed along with updating the award criteria to recognize the best applicant, regardless of gender,” Barker said in an email. Erin Simpson, director of the Gender and Equality Center, said in an email this change will make the OU campus more inclusive.
“Trans, nonbinary and gender non-conforming students can now see themselves in the greater campus leadership landscape in a completely different way,” Simpson said in the email. While campus awards have been changed to be gender-neutral, the selection process will not change, and the selection committee will still be made up of staff, faculty and students, Barker said in the email. Since receiving Big NonBinary Person on Campus, Ho said there has not been much resistance to the changes. “It seemed like this was something that (Leadership and Volunteerism) had wanted to do for a while,” Ho said. “Campus awards being distributed on the basis of gender directly conflicts with the meritocracy it’s supposed to provide.” Bennett Brinkman
bennettbrinkman@ou.edu
PAXSON HAWS/THE DAILY
English literature and social justice senior Leanne Ho poses for a photo Oct. 17. They received the Big Non-Binary Person on Campus award last year.
State House announces oversight increase Initiative aims to better monitor state agencies SCOTT KIRKER @scott_kirker
The Oklahoma House of Representatives announced Friday that it would conduct more direct oversight on open meetings, including meetings of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. As part of a new initiative, House Speaker Charles McCall has assigned House committees to more regularly monitor 40 state agencies and will assign legislators to attend meetings as necessary, according to a House press release. “The Legislature has been too deferential and hands-off with these governing boards for most of state history, and
the House is going to change that,” said McCall, R-Atoka, in the release. The list of state agencies to be more directly monitored includes the Oklahoma State Regents for State Higher Education but not the OU Board of Regents — though more boards could be added in the future. The renewed oversight efforts may also lead more legislators to invoke section 310 of the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act. Section 310 allows legislators to sit in on executive sessions for meetings authorized by the act for governing boards related to committees they serve on within the Legislature. According to the release, it is rarely invoked. “This is an important oversight component of the Open Meeting Act that we intend to start (using),” McCall said in the release. “There are legitimate reasons for executive
VIA OKHOUSE.GOV
The Oklahoma House of Representatives chambers.
sessions, but when they are used for the wrong reasons, it is to the detriment of Oklahoma citizens.” McCall said in the release that legislators who may attend executive sessions will
not be able to share information they learn in those meetings, but if legislators should learn anything “truly egregious, (they) will not hesitate to exercise (their) constitutional authority and
independence as the situation warrants.” Leslie Rainbolt, chair of the Board of Regents, said at the board’s Sept. 11 meeting that it plans to incorporate regular executive sessions into its meetings. State Reps. Mark McBride and Toni Hasenbeck, chair and vice chair of the House Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Education, attended the Sept. 11 meeting of the Board of Regents, and said at the time that they plan to attend future meetings. The goals of the oversight initiative, as listed in the release, are as follows: Improve legislator understanding of agency governance and operations Assess each board’s oversight efforts and the effectiveness of the agency Monitor whether state appropriations are being used as intended and if adequate
consideration is being given to potential liabilities attached to federal or other grants agencies may pursue Ensure enactment of new and existing laws, including rule-making, is consistent with legislative intent and facilitates effective service delivery to the public Determine if executive sessions closed to the public are being used properly “Quality Oklahomans serve on several of these boards, including many appointed by the legislative branch, but we as elected state representatives need to do more to monitor what these boards are doing or not doing. It is our constitutional duty,” McCall said in the release. Scott Kirker stk@ou.edu
4
CULTURE
• Oct. 21-27, 2019
All-female cast to kick off show Award-winning ‘The Wolves’ tells teen soccer story ABBY TOW @abby_tow
JILLIAN TAYLOR @jilliantaylor_
Sixteen small cones form a grid on the astroturf covering the floor of the Weitzenhoffer black box theater. “Keep your head up,� a cast member yells in a sea of shouting. “Nine days until opening.� The cast of “The Wolves,� University Theatre’s upcoming production, spends the first half of their rehearsal running soccer drills instead of lines. Only three sounds can be heard in the room: the kicking of soccer balls, labored breathing and actresses screaming words of encouragement to their teammates. This award winning and Pulitzer Prize-nominated play was written in 2016 by playwright Sarah DeLappe. From 2018 to 2019, “The Wolves� was one of the most produced plays, according to American Theatre, a national theater magazine. The OU production is
directed by Judith Pender, a Weitzenhoffer endowed professor of performance and directing and the college’s performance area coordinator. The show offers audiences a glimpse into the lives of nine female soccer players as they practice before games. The characters, known to each other by the numbers on their jerseys, discuss everything from tampons to global political conflict through the perspective of contemporary teenagers. Unlike other productions, which only require experience in acting, “The Wolves� calls for skill in both acting and soccer due to the physically demanding nature of the show. To prepare for the show’s dual demands, cast members were mentored by former soccer player and assistant director Emma Antongiovanni, a scenic design senior. “Basically we’ve been training for three hours every day for a month now,� said Alexandra Swanbeck, an acting junior and #46 in the play. “Emma has been teaching us so much and putting us through so many drills. We even had a scrimmage soccer game during
one of our first weeks of rehearsal on the North Oval.� The cast of “The Wolves� also observed OU’s soccer team practice before a game. Sarah Santamaria, an acting dramaturgy sophomore who plays #14, said watching the team’s behavior was very helpful. “Going into the process, I was like, ‘Some of the lines sound a little cheesy,’ or ‘I wouldn’t say that in a soccer practice,’� Santamaria said. “But as I watched them scream at each other and give each other high fives, I quickly figured out I was wrong.� Pender said the group bonded quickly. In just a few short weeks, the cast became proficient in soccer techniques and a true team. “I’ve never been in a sorority, but you know, it’s that kind of closeness that you develop with a group of women,� Pender said. Pender said such a group of women is, in most cases, underrepresented, as audiences don’t often see shows about a group of teenage girls. Having an all-female cast allowed OU actresses to present audiences with an illustration of genuine womanhood. “I think having an all-female cast gives a really
unique opportunity to not just the actresses involved, but also the audiences,� said Lucy Dismore, an acting and dramaturgy sophomore and #11 in the play. “They get a chance to see women on stage being strong, angry, mean, scared and powerful in a way that I don’t think you get to see a lot on stage.� “The Wolves� seeks to explore the qualities of individualistic, adolescent females who just happen to be friends. Through the play’s text, OU’s all-female cast explores and portrays the complexities of unique female characters. “Our playwright did such a good job of creating all-female roles that aren’t defined by their male counterparts or as love interests,� Swanbeck said. “We’ve had so many rehearsals where we just ended up talking for a full hour about all our different characters. All the girls are so different and so individualistic and so unique and so deep and thought out.� The cast members said the characters in the show are relatable and that certain characteristics remind them of people they knew in their teenage years. Many of the characters are not named in the play, so the cast assigned
HOROSCOPE Nick Hazelrigg Jordan Miller George Stoia Caitlyn Epes Will Conover
contact us
Editor in Chief News Editor Sports Editor Visual Editor Video Editor
Paxson Haws Julia Weinhoffer Abigail Hall Daniella Peters Carly Orewiler
160 Copeland Hall, 860 Van Vleet Oval Norman, OK 73019-2052
The OU Daily is a public forum, the University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice and an entirely student-run publication. The Editorial Board, which consists of student editors, meets Monday to Thursday in Copeland Hall, Room 160. The newsroom is open to the public. To advertise in The Daily, contact the advertising manager by calling 405-325-2521 or emailing dailyads@ou.edu.
Enterprise Editor Engagement Editor Culture Editor Copy Chief Design Editor
email:
phone:
dailynews@ ou.edu
405-325-3666
One free copy of The Daily is available to members of the OU community. Additional copies may be purchased for 25 cents by contacting The Daily business office at 405-325-2521. Corrections: The Daily is committed to accuracy in its publications. If you find an error in a story, email dailynews@ou.edu or visit oudaily. com/site/corrections.html to submit a correction form. VOL. 104, NO. 43 Copyright 2019 OU Publications Board FREE — Additional copies 25 cents
Previous Solution
Instructions: Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. That means that no number is repeated in any row, column or box.
By Eugenia Last
Copyright 2015, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.
Monday October 21st, 2019 LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- You can dodge a bullet if you refrain from sharing your opinion. Listen, learn and choose your battles wisely. Don’t waste time on a dead-end project; focus on what’s new and exciting.
approaching your responsibilities and taking care of your health. ARIES (March 21-April 19) -Get on board and make things happen. Don’t leave your future in someone else’s hands. Pitch in and be a part of the process. Your contribution matters.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- Discuss your thoughts and feelings. It’s important that the people you are dealing with know your plans if you want to get the support you need to be successful.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- A change someone makes may not sit well with you, but if you go about your business and do your own thing, you will feel satisfied with your accomplishments. Keep the peace.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- Insincerity is apparent when dealing with matters that concern money, settlements and expectations. Don’t dismiss your intuition. If something doesn’t seem right, ask questions. Stay in charge and avoid being manipulated.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- If someone questions you, offer only what’s necessary. Remain in control and protect yourself against theft. Be smart and equitable. CANCER (June 21-July 22) -Share your stories, dreams and intentions with a loved one. The insight and thoughtfulness you get in return will help you bring your plans to the forefront. Romance is featured.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Don’t start your day on the wrong foot. Put emotional negativity on the back burner and embrace the things that can bring you the rewards you LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -desire. Choose love over discord. Broaden your horizons, learn all you can, build your stamina AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) and endurance, and prepare -- You can waste time arguing, for inevitable changes. Don’t or you can focus on making be fooled by someone using personal gains, expanding your temptation or manipulation to interests and contributing to lead you astray. something worthwhile. Maintain a positive attitude. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Listen and learn. The information PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -you pick up will help you mold Don’t stir up trouble or take part your ideas and strengths into in someone else’s chaos. You’ll something beneficial. A positive make gains if you use ingenuity change is heading your way. when handling your finances, Romance is accentuated.
some of the them names based on people they knew in high school. Swanbeck related to her character personally, as both of them experienced what it was like to be an outsider as “the new kid.� “I grew up in Singapore and Nigeria and Australia for the majority of my life and didn’t move to the states, and I was like 15,� Swanbeck said. “#46 is 16 when she moves to Nevada ... so I really connected with her.� “The Wolves� also provides actresses with experience in playing characters close to their actual age. “We are often asked to play ages that are a little bit older,� said Alexis Pudvan, an acting senior and #2 in the play. “When we graduate, a lot of times, we have training which is very valuable ... but we get into the professional world having played not a lot of characters that we’re going to immediately be cast as at the age of 21.� The cast said they valued this career-building opportunity to play complex and developed young women. “It’s rare to find such w e l l - w r i tte n , c o mp l e x , young female characters that a lot of us will be playing in our early careers,� Pudvan
said. “Both technically and professionally, it’s an exciting opportunity to work on something more like what we will be working on when we graduate.� To Pender, watching these actresses grow and become the women they were meant to be is the most rewarding part of the process. “I spent four years with these young women, and to see and be a part of their journey and ... see how they have grown and learned is so rewarding,� Pender said. “They have come so far since we started just a few short weeks ago.� “The Wolves� opens at 8 p.m. Oct. 25, with additional performances at 8 p.m. on Oct. 26 and 31, Nov. 1 and 2, and at 3 p.m. Oct. 27 and Nov. 3 in the Weitzenhoffer Theatre, 563 Elm Ave. Tickets range from $20 to $25 and are available online, by phone and at the box office. Discounted tickets are available for students and faculty for $10. Abby Tow
abby.tow1@ou.edu
Jillian Taylor
jillian.g.taylor-2@ou.edu
Universal Crossword Edited by David Steinberg October 21, 2019
ACROSS 1 “Cheerio!� 5 Lump of Devonshire cream 9 Like rarebit 14 Each 15 London’s ___ Park 16 State north of Utah 17 Notable person 18 Steel element 19 Watergate president 20 Talented bugler playing “Reveille�? 23 Rite places 24 Good cholesterol: Abbr. 25 Nocturnal bird 28 Sgt., e.g. 29 Innate skill 32 Silly mistake, jocularly 34 Routine matters for an estate lawyer? 36 Band formed by Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny and Anni-Frid 39 Negative connector 40 ___ for Tots 41 Records maintained by the complaint department? 46 “Wreck-It Ralph� setting
10/21
47 “___ Land� (Emma Stone movie) 48 Discovery shout 51 Affirmative answer 52 “Angle� or “cycle� opening 54 Glossy coat 56 Roadblock for spending spree plans? 59 Store for future use 62 “Sunday Night Baseball� commentator, familiarly 63 Craft brewery choices 64 Standoffish 65 Shower love (on) 66 Math function related to tangent 67 ___ noir 68 Practice punches 69 Spiciness DOWN 1 Island north of the Philippines 2 H.S. class that covers integrals 3 Started liking 4 Sleep problem 5 Contributes financially 6 Vega’s constellation 7 Dumpster emission 8 First extra inning
9 Arizona city in “Take It Easy� 10 Make more concise, e.g. 11 Lenient 12 Premium cable channel, briefly 13 “Sweetie� 21 Sudden itch 22 Fan mail recipient 25 Northern European capital 26 Cunning 27 Subtraction preposition 30 ___ shui 31 Hairy fad doll 33 Olive discards 34 Fancy, festive function 35 Tenor’s solo 36 Word after “sock� or “slip� 37 Lacking cover
38 Some pens 42 Phishing objective 43 Infamous emperor 44 Slim and trim 45 Orange juice quality 48 Charlotte ___, U.S. Virgin Islands 49 Big Sky Country’s capital 50 Ready to go 53 Apple Store array 55 Inundated 56 “Begone!� 57 Hold (up) 58 Smallest Greek letter 59 Mushroom top 60 ___ Baba 61 Kind of artist who might commit art fraud
PREVIOUS PREVIOUSPUZZLE PUZZLEANSWER ANSWER
10/20 Š 2019 Andrews McMeel Universal 10/7 Š 2019 Andrews McMeel Universal www.upuzzles.com www.upuzzles.com
Monday to Wednesday by Mark McClain
SPORTS
Oct. 21-27, 2019 •
5
Schooner spills spirit squad
OU wagon crashes; former RUF/NEK deems flip ‘fluke’ GEORGE STOIA @GeorgeStoia
As the Sooner Schooner took its only turn on its way back to the northeast tunnel of the Gaylord FamilyOklahoma Memorial Stadium, its inside wheel stopped turning and gave way, tipping the wagon on its side and violently throwing two of its riders to the ground. The Schooner was quickly taken off the field as the ponies scampered away and the two passengers lay on the field. There were no serious injuries, according to an OU spokesperson. This is the first time the Schooner has fallen over since 1993. As the Schooner was carried off the field, there was an ominous feeling as fans, players, coaches and media wondered: How did this happen? “This is a fluke,” said Adam Burnett, a former RUF/NEK who graduated in 2016. “I’m just happy nobody got hurt because I’m telling you that is a hard thing to do. And it doesn’t happen very often. It really is not something that happens often. They work very hard for that not to happen.” Burnett, who was a RUF/ NEK for four years, was shocked when he saw the Schooner roll over. He said the drivers go through hours of training and it’s not as easy as it looks. “They go through pretty rigorous training,” Burnett said. “That being said, driving an old-school hitched wagon isn’t the easiest thing in the world. Actually, it’s pretty difficult. Those drivers,
PAXSON HAWS/THE DAILY
RUF/NEKS rush to pick up the Sooner Schooner after it crashed during the West Virginia game Oct. 19.
though, are highly trained.” Burnett, while he wasn’t a driver himself, helped put the Schooner together. He knows the ins and outs of how the wagon works. “I’ve put that exact Schooner together a thousand times,” Burnett said. “I’ve painted it, pushed it. I’ve also seen those drivers drive it in more parades and walking around showing it off ... and dude, it’s a fluke that happened.” When Burnett saw the wagon fall, he said there were a couple reasons why. First, the grass was wet. Before tipping, the Schooner had left marks on the field. Second, the horses took too sharp of a turn. And, as
Burnett pointed out, it’s hard to control that. “It’s a combination of factors that something like that happened,” Burnett said. “The horses took a little bit of a hard inside left, and when they did that, the tongue — which is the piece of the wood between the two horses — got at a bad angle, and then it flipped. But the reason the horses pulled so far into the inside is because wheels were dragging, and when those wheels were dragging, it slowed them down. “What would normally be a three-second turn turned into a five-second turn. And you can’t communicate that to a horse — horses don’t speak English.”
O klahoma releas e d a statement after the accident, saying the camera man in the back of the wagon may have caused the tip. “The Sooner Schooner tipped over today. We believe it was the result of weight distribution among riders in the rear of the wagon. Three individuals were evaluated at the stadium and released. All others reported that they were uninjured. Upon initial evaluation, it also appears the ponies are uninjured. Medical staff responded immediately as did the expert horse handlers and veterinarian who staff all games. We are grateful that the injuries were not serious and for the staff members who
responded so well.” PETA also chimed in on Twitter and called for OU to stop using the Sooner Schooner. “Exploiting animals for sports is unnecessary & incredibly dangerous for animals AND humans,” the tweet said, tagging the official OU football account. “KEEP THE HORSES OFF THE FIELD.” Burnett said the wagon itself really doesn’t have brakes, so the driver can only slow the wagon down. He can’t stop it. “The brake is a big piece of wood that you can jam against the tire. It’s kind of like driving a boat. The first thing you learn about driving
a boat is that it doesn’t have brakes. That’s the same thing you learn when you drive the Schooner — this thing doesn’t have brakes.” With the Sooner Schooner being one of college football’s greatest traditions, its tumble on Saturday was a rare and almost unthinkable occurrence. “There is so much that goes into this that ensures this doesn’t happen,” Burnett said. “Just happy no one is hurt.” George Stoia
georgestoia@ou.edu
Daily Specials n ow o p e n - d o w n t o w n
norman
Mondays: $10 Build your own Pastas Choose a pasta, a sauce and add a protein
To-go happy hour monday-thursday 4-7pm $15 pepperoni pizzas $12 cheese pizzas
Tuesdays: 2 for 1 Parmigiana Mix and match your choice of chicken, veal or eggplant
Thursdays: $10.95 8oz Prime Top Sirloin Served with baked potato and salad
Sundays: Half Price Pizza 1/2 off all basic topping pizzas
BOMB SNACKS
PUNCH THIS
15% OU Student discount with valid ID.
W E D N E S D AY S
Not applicable with other promotions and specials.
$5 derby boombastics & tornadocanes all day
Happy Hour 4pm - 6pm and 9pm - Close: $3 Wells and $5 Frozen Bellini's
w w w. n o t o r i o u s p i e n o r m a n . c o m
434 Buchanan - Campus Corner - (405) 701-4900
6
SPORTS
• Oct. 21-27, 2019
Sooners set sights on success OU players, coaches strive to win team’s eighth national title GEORGE STOIA @George Stoia
For the first time since 2004, Oklahoma is 7-0. Through seven games, the No. 5 Sooners (7-0, 4-0 Big 12) look like the most complete team in Norman since 2008, when OU finished No. 2 in the country. And Saturday, they showed no signs of slowing down, beating West Virginia (3-4, 1-3 Big 12) 52-14. B u t O k l a h o m a’s w i n Saturday is nothing to write home about, at least according to the Sooners themselves. No — a 38-point win in October over a conference opponent isn’t enough for this team. Their satisfaction, they hope, will come in January. “This team is never going to be satisfied,” sophomore nickelback Brendan “Bookie” Radley-Hiles said. “We’re going to be satisfied after that January game. After the national title is over, hopefully we’re playing in that game, we’re not going to be satisfied until that happens.” Oklahoma’s schedule lines up to make a real run for the Sooners: at Kansas State, Iowa State at home, Baylor on the road, back home
against TCU and a trip to Stillwater to face Oklahoma State to finish things out. The Sooners will likely be double-digit favorites in all five of their remaining regular season games. With Alabama and LSU having to face each other, and Clemson and Ohio State likely running the table, Oklahoma is in perfect position to make the College Football Playoff for a third consecutive season. But it’s what the Sooners could do at the playoff this year that has Sooner Nation excited: Win the dang thing. “Championship-level football team over there in the other locker room,” West Virginia coach Neal Brown said in his opening statement. “I think they’ve got all the ingredients to make a run at it.” In recent years, Oklahoma has had great quarterbacks in Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray, great skill players in Dede Westbrook and Marquise Brown and great coaches in Bob Stoops and Lincoln Riley. But in terms of being a complete team, this is the best the Sooners have had to offer. And it’s in large part because of the defensive turnaround under new defensive coordinator Alex Grinch. Led by Jalen Hurts and CeeDee Lamb on offense, and now Kenneth Murray and Neville Gallimore on defense, OU looks to be a real
contender that could knock off an Alabama or Clemson team. “It’s always been real. It’s been real since the day I got here,” Radley-Hiles said. “Last year, we came a game short. This year, I feel as if we’re taking strides to get into that game and to come out victorious in that game.” Following their biggest win of the season, many thought the Sooners could fall into a trap game against the Mountaineers. But that certainly wasn’t the case. “I think we handled this week like a team that has some good goals in mind,” coach Riley said. “(We are) understanding that it is a process, it’s not about one game here or there, it’s a constant climb for us. ... I like our makeup, but we’re only as good as that continues. That has to continue for us, the standard has to keep going up and up.” After Saturday’s game, there was a lot of talk among the defensive players of not being complacent. A season ago, or really any time in the last five years, a performance like Saturday would be celebrated. The Sooners held the Mountaineers to just 242 total yards and a 28 percent third down conversion. But not in 2019. They have one goal in mind, and that’s bringing Oklahoma its eighth national championship. “We said coming into the season that was our goal.
OU coach Lincoln Riley after the game against West Virginia Oct. 19.
But you kind of don’t really know what you’ve got until you play a game,” junior linebacker Murray said. “Coming into Houston, we kind of felt that momentum, and now that we’re halfway through the season, we kind of see what we are as a team, our identity as a team. So now we know that if we attack every (week) and do what we need to do every week, we put ourselves in a great position to achieve our goal.” Offensively, Oklahoma is where it needs to be, just as it has been the last four
seasons under coach Riley’s playcalling. And with Hurts — who knows what it takes to win a national title and continues to improve as he totaled 391 yards and five touchdowns Saturday — leading the charge, Oklahoma feels as if all the pieces are there. “Our goal right now is to maintain the improvement. There’s still a lot of improvement that needs to happen,” Riley said. “It’s a fun team to coach right now. It’ll stay that way if we keep getting better, continue to look past some of the positive things
CAITLYN EPES/THE DAILY
that we’re doing and keep finding ways that we can improve, then we got a chance.” As Oklahoma finished off the Mountaineers Saturday, FOX college football analyst Joel Klatt said about OU, “This is about a national championship.” Don’t tell Hurts that. That, as he would say, is “rat poison.” “We don’t know what the ceiling is,” Hurts said. “No one knows.” George Stoia
georgestoia@ou.edu
Hurts plays with ‘big boy’ throws, OU DNA Quarterback has big performance, still expects more VIC REYNOLDS @vicareynolds
After No. 5 Oklahoma’s (7-0, 4-0 Big 12) 52-14 win over West Virginia (3-4, 1-3 Big 12), Jalen Hurts stood near midfield waiting to do an interview with FOX. The senior Oklahoma quarterback was fresh off tallying 391 total yards and scoring five touchdowns, but just before starting the interview, he looked across the field and waved over West Virginia wide receiver T.J. Simmons. Simmons — who played with Hurts at Alabama for one season in 2016 — waited for his former teammate to be free to talk, but was told by a Mountaineer coach that he had to head back to the locker room. “Come on, Coach, I haven’t seen him in years,” Simmons hollered before jogging across Owen Field to the visiting team’s locker room. The two formed a close bond in their lone season, and Hurts described
PAXSON HAWS/THE DAILY
Senior quarterback Jalen Hurts throws the ball during the game against West Virginia Oct. 19.
Simmons as a “brother for life” after the game. The two share the trait of starting their careers at Alabama, and they’re ending them in the Big 12. Since leaving Tuscaloosa, arriving in Norman and starting to feel OU DNA in himself, Hurts has grown exponentially as a quarterback, and that was reflected best on Saturday in his
46-yard third quarter touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Lee Morris. On second and one with a 35-14 lead, Hurts dropped back at the midfield logo and hurled a pass against the midwestern wind right into the hands of Morris, who caught the ball at the 10-yard line and walked untouched into the end zone. Combining the level
University Liquor For all of your wine, beer, and specialty liquor needs with our extensive inventory
1215 E Lindsey St, Norman, OK 73071 405.573.1977
of difficulty and the precision with which Hurts threw the pass, it might just be the best throw of his college career. “It was into gusty wind, and it was covered pretty decent,” Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley said. “It’s a throw that’s in a little bit of a strange angle — he had to read the angle and the receiver and anticipate where
he’s going to be. There wasn’t much margin for error on that one. “It was a big boy throw.” C o m i ng i nt o h i s f i r st season with the Sooners, there were questions as to whether Hurts had the throwing ability that would allow him to thrive in Riley’s h i g h -p o w e re d o f f e n s e. Yet through his first seven games under Riley, Hurts has put together a Heismancaliber throwing portfolio that largely silenced that narrative. Despite the brilliance of Hurts’ first few games in the crimson and cream, his performance against West Virginia was arguably the best of his college career. Hi s p a ss e r e f f i c i e n c y rating of 308.5 is the second-highest in Oklahoma h i s t o r y b e h i n d Ky l e r Murray’s 348 against Baylor in 2018. His 94 percent completion rate is the highest he’s ever had as a starter, and it was his fifth game with three touchdown passes as a Sooner — a feat he only accomplished three t i m e s i n t h re e ye a r s at Alabama. Even after his masterful performance, Hurts stood before the media dressed in an all-black suit and
turtleneck, preaching the same ideas he’s delivered since he arrived in Norman: the need for execution, taking steps in the right direction and playing “our brand of football.” “I threw the ball the best I had all week,” said Hurts, who’s been dealing with a minor hand injury. “I’m just happy that the receivers made plays, the O-line gave us time, and we did a decent job of executing today.” It’s clear that Hurts is never one to be satisfied with himself, even when he plays remarkably. But he doesn’t appear to just be acting negative for the sake of acting negative. His obsession with improvement is centered on living up to the potential he believes his team has, and setting the team on the path to a national championship. “It’s about us challenging ourselves to play to our standards and, like I say all the time, to play our brand of football,” Hurts said. “I think that’s what it’s about. I think if we can focus on the things we can control, then the only way is up.” Vic Reynolds
victor.reynolds@ou.edu
WATCH: IS THIS THE OU TEAM THAT CAN WIN THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP? After their homecoming victory against West Virginia, the Sooners have their sights set on an eighth national title. Scan the QR code below or follow the link bit.ly/33L00ZX to watch The Daily’s video about the high expectations for Oklahoma.